The following invention relates to a process for making printed circuit boards utilizing injection molded polymer substrate components and silk screening those components with electrically conductive ink and/or adhesive.
Conventional printed circuit boards comprise a substrate formed of fiberglass or epoxy which are cut from sheets in order to fit the circuit board within the confines of the shell or area which is to house it. After the substrate has been cut to the desired dimensions, circuit runs must be etched on the board and circuit components must be attached. Placing circuit runs and pads on fiberglass circuit boards is both time consuming and expensive. Circuit runs must be defined by a photographic process and then must be etched into the board. Next, current runs and pads are formed by a plating process. Solder masking, another step, is used to place solder on the boards at appropriate points without destroying the integrity of the circuit runs. Additionally, the step of cutting the substrates to the desired configuration can add to the overall time required to manufacture the circuit boards and thus add to their cost.